The olfactory imagery is central as the motif of smell permeates the novel and features in the title. The use of smell connects to the characters’ memories and effectively conveys their emotions to the reader, reinforcing thematic elements and a sense of place in the narrative. The motif creates a common trait among the protagonists and emphasizes their heightened perception of and connection with their environment as well as their understanding of themselves and others.

Often, smell connects to the characters’ childhood memories. Ruth recalls her mother’s smell, a sign of her vivid memory of her and the fact that she always misses her: “She smelled like marshy muskeg after a hard rain, and even with blood in her hair, she was beautiful” (1). Smell also conveys a distinction between the familiar and the unfamiliar when Ruth moves to her grandmother’s, underscoring her alienation: “Birch Park smelled like an old person’s house, something I’d never noticed when we only visited, which hadn’t been very often” (4). Smell also connects to Hank’s memories of his father. He and his brothers still sense the smell of “Old Spice.